1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a scanning method and scanning system using a Technology Without An Interesting Name (i.e., “TWAIN”) driver, and more particularly, to a scanning method and scanning system using a TWAIN driver, which can maximize convenience and utility of a scanner by performing duplex scanning in a scanner or a user host computer, which are both in a scanning system wherein the scanner and the user host computer are locally connected by an interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) or a parallel port, or are remotely connected via a network.
Aspects of the present invention also relate to a method and system to transmit a scanned image from a scanner to an application of a user host computer via a network using network session technology and scanning control technology applied in a local connection.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a standard interface is used to regulate communication between software applications and imaging devices such as scanners. Examples of such a standard interface are a “Technology Without An Interesting Name” (i.e., “TWAIN”) driver, or a Windows image acquisition (i.e, “WIA”) driver, used by an application of a user host computer (i.e., a “host”) to obtain a scanned image of a scanner. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a connection between a scanner 11 and a user host computer 10 connected by a local connection interface 13, such as a USB or a parallel port. In order for an application of the user host computer 10 to receive an image scanned by the scanner 11 using a TWAIN driver, the local connection interface 13, such as a USB or a parallel port, is usually configured as illustrated in FIG. 1. Such technology is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/127682.
As shown in FIG. 1, since the local connection interface 13 is locally connected to the user host computer 10, the local connection interface 13 has a connectivity restriction, i.e., the connection between the user host computer 10 and the scanner 11 is limited to a connection length and connection capacity of the local connection interface 13. Accordingly, in order to overcome such a connectivity restriction, technology has been developed in which the scanned image is transmitted to the user host computer 10 through a network. Such technology is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,911,044, 6,256,662, and 6,426,001, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2001/0014908.
However, the technology of transmitting a scanned image to a user host computer, via a network, does not combine and use technology which uses a network session control and a local connection. Thus, users experience inconvenience when using such conventional technology.
Aspects of the present invention provide a scanning method and scanning system using a TWAIN driver, which can maximize convenience and utility of a scanner by performing duplex scanning in a scanner or a user host computer, which are both in a scanning system wherein the scanner and the user host computer are locally connected by an interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) or a parallel port, or are remotely connected via a network.
Aspects of the present invention also provide a method and system to transmit a scanned image from a scanner to an application of a user host computer via a network using a network session technology and a scanning control technology applied in a local connection.
An example embodiment of the present invention, provides a scanning method used to scan documents in a scanning system, the system including a scanner and a user host computer having a TWAIN driver, the scanner and the user host computer connectable by a local interface and a network, the method including selecting one of the local interface or the network to connect the scanner and the user host computer; if the network is selected, connecting the TWAIN driver to the scanner via the selected network to control the scanner; and performing scanning according to the selected local interface or the network.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the checking includes transmitting and receiving message data between the user host computer and the scanner in order to connect the user host computer and the scanner via the network.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the selecting includes selecting one of the local interface or the network via one of an operation panel of the scanner or the user host computer.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the user host computer pre-registers user information, corresponding user host computer information, and scan options in the scanner via the network, before the selecting of one of the local interface or the network.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the user information, corresponding user host computer information, and scan options can be registered by performing a search.
According to an aspect of the present invention, if the network is selected, the method further includes starting the performing of the scanning by inputting a command to the scanner to perform the scanning by a remote connection via the network, logging in by selecting a pre-registered user based on the pre-registered user information, and receiving an application list and a scan option value by using the registered user host computer information corresponding to the pre-registered user information.
According to an aspect of the present invention, if the network is selected, the method further includes indicating a list of scanners connected to the network and providing a graphic user interface (GUI) which enables a user to select a desired scanner from the list of scanners or select the desired scanner by directly inputting an IP address of the desired scanner, wherein the GUI is provided by one of the user host computer or the scanner.
Another example embodiment of the present invention provides a scanning system, including a scanner to scan a document, a user host computer connectable to the scanner by a local interface and a network, including a TWAIN driver to control the scanner, a scan manager, which discovers the scanner and registers user information, user host computer information, and scan options, such as scan resolution, in the discovered scanner, and a ScanToPC application, which receives the user information, the user host computer information, and the scan options from the scanner registered by the scan manager and operates a scan driver based on the user information, the user host computer information, and the scan options, and a network module, including a scanner discoverer, to transmit and/or receive data used by the scan manager to discover the scanner and interposed between the scan manager and the scanner, and a session controller, interposed between the ScanToPC application and the scanner to control a network connection of the ScanToPC application and the scanner.
In addition to the example embodiments and aspects as described above, further aspects and embodiments will be apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following descriptions.